


Sentient

by loeyeol



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Reapers, Sehun is Really Bad At This, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-12-24 19:56:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21105134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loeyeol/pseuds/loeyeol
Summary: Love is one of the only things humans can’t suppress nor ignore. Once felt... it’s just as inevitable as death is.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> prompt no.40 for the north wind and the sun, a sebaek fic fest.

The persistent rain patters against Baekhyun’s bedroom window. He focuses on the repetitive sound of the calming weather to drown out his distracting, sullen thoughts. Baekhyun, who is laying down on his unmade bed with his eyes on the ceiling, has this overwhelming urge to cry. Though, he refuses to let any tears fall. That would mean he let his internal sorrows win, and Baekhyun only wants to be happy. It’s his only goal. His dream, even.

The doorbell rings twice. Baekhyun groans as he sits up, he’s been lying there for a couple of hours. A few of his bones produce some concerning noises when he rises. He wonders who would visit him at midnight. It’s not common for his friends or brother to stop by without warning him.

Baekhyun leaves the bedroom and picks up his walking speed through the apartment after hearing the aggravating doorbell again. Mongryong, his dog, barks at him when he passes and he waves at the excited corgi in acknowledgment. His apartment isn’t that big, but it isn’t small either. It’s a nice size for one person and a dog. Inside the living room, there’s a giant window with a beautiful view of Seoul. Baekhyun pauses momentarily to watch the rain slide down the windowpane, the vehicles whizzing down dark roads, and the bright lights painting the skyscrapers on the night’s blank canvas. The doorbell ringing again reminds him why he left his room in the first place.

The tall man behind the door doesn’t give Baekhyun the chance to fully open the door before he’s already inside and searching under the beige couch. 

“Lose something?” Baekhyun questions his younger brother, Chanyeol. He’s a busy guy, always on the move. Baekhyun can never keep up with him. Growing up, they got along well and had little to no fights. The two didn’t have time to fight. No parents, no other family to raise them, no one else but each other. Petty arguments were the last of their problems. By some miracle, they survived and ended up in a big, eventful city with good jobs to support them. Luck was on their side.

After thoroughly searching every inch of the couch, Chanyeol stands up. “I left my wallet here.” He sighs and runs a hand through his unkempt black hair. “Have you seen it?”

Baekhyun’s eyes fall on the coffee table placed a few feet in front of the couch. Chanyeol follows his gaze and he sees his black wallet on top of a coaster. “I should’ve asked if you’d seen it before I barged in, huh?”

“Probably.”

Chanyeol pockets his wallet and moves toward the kitchen. A bottle of water falls out of the refrigerator as he opens it. Baekhyun almost tells him to pick it up, but Chanyeol does it before he opens his mouth.

“What are you looking for?” Baekhyun forces the fridge to close, moving his brother out of the way. “It’s late. Go home.”

“I was at the convenience store but I couldn’t buy anything because my wallet was here. Please, I’m hungry.”

Baekhyun steps away from the fridge with a sigh and lets Chanyeol rummage through it. “I’m going to sleep. Lock the door on your way out.”

“Can I stay the night?” Chanyeol’s question causes Baekhyun to freeze in his spot. Before he can say no, the younger points at the large window. The rain is still pouring down, no sign of stopping any time soon.

“Feed Mongryong in the morning.” Is Baekhyun’s answer.

──────────── 

Byun Baekhyun is a genuine mystery. Tedious. Inexplicably sad. Sehun, a centuries-old reaper, doesn’t enjoy waiting on this human’s inevitable death. He was assigned to collect the man’s soul two days ago and nothing has happened yet.

Reapers aren’t told how their assigned human dies or the exact time, even. The only thing they know is that it will be soon and they can do nothing but wait until the moment comes.

Earlier today, Sehun witnessed Baekhyun lose his job and get stuck in the rain without an umbrella. His dog made a mess in the kitchen while he was gone. Baekhyun managed to clean everything up before nightfall. Then, he went into his bedroom and stared at the ceiling for hours. In Sehun’s long (very long) career of reaping souls, he has never seen someone with such bad luck. 

The next day, Chanyeol wakes up before the sun does and feeds Mongryong like Baekhyun had asked. Sehun watches him scribble something on a pink sticky note. He places it on the front door on his way out. 

Sehun notices Chanyeol’s wallet on the kitchen counter. _ Did he really leave it again? _He almost wants to follow Chanyeol to return the chunk of leather to him, but he can’t. He’s waiting on Baekhyun to die.

The clock is ticking.

9 A.M., Baekhyun emerges from his bedroom, eyes puffy and red. He must have finally cried after keeping the tears locked away for so long.

Looking at the pitiful state the human is in, Sehun is thankful reapers can’t feel emotion. He doesn’t want to experience sadness. To Sehun, it seems worse than death itself. Then again… he hasn’t experienced death either. Reapers aren’t alive nor dead. They just… _ are_.

A drawn-out yawn coming from Baekhyun pulls Sehun back into the task at hand. The human checks Mongryong’s food bowl to see if his brother listened to him. Satisfied, he disappears into the bathroom and Sehun hears the shower water turn on.

The rest of the morning goes without harm. Baekhyun settles on the sofa right next to Sehun. The curious reaper takes this opportunity to study the man’s captivating features.

Baekhyun has these soft brown eyes. They hold longing, distress, and hope. The reaper’s stomach gets filled with an indescribable heaviness like he has swallowed a ton of bricks. It’s not a feeling he’s fond of.

Mongryong joins the two on the couch, sitting in between them. Baekhyun pets the dog’s light-colored fur. “Do you think I’ll be okay, Mongie?” Baekhyun asks, head in the clouds. He obviously won’t get a response and Sehun is sure he doesn’t want one.

The reaper believes Baekhyun already knows the answer.


	2. Chapter Two

One. Two. Three. Four knocks on the door. Each knock gaining volume one after the other. Mongryong runs into Baekhyun’s room after being scared by the abrupt noise.

“Open the door now!” The unfamiliar voice sets Baekhyun on edge. He quickly rises from the couch when the person outside starts banging on the door, trying to force his way in. A pink sticky note attached to the door flutters toward the carpeted floor because of the harsh strikes.

Before Baekhyun can register what’s happening, the door swings open revealing a masked person, deep voice, gun in hand, and demanding money.

“I… I don’t have anything.” He manages to say. 

“Bullshit!” The gunman raises his weapon in Baekhyun’s face. A tight knot forms in his throat, hands shaking, veins pulsing, heart thumping with urgency in his ears.

Baekhyun puts his hands up, a silent plea. “Please, I don’t—” The gun cocks, shutting Baekhyun up.

“What was that?” The masked man steps closer, Baekhyun takes one step back. “You don’t what?”

Baekhyun chooses not to answer. A short silence falls over the room before Mongryong runs back in, barking and growling at the robber. Startled, the man pulls the trigger. A deafening pop rings throughout the apartment. Baekhyun shouts and makes an attempt to shield himself.

It takes a few seconds for Baekhyun to realize he hasn’t been hit. Instead, there's a tall man dressed in all black, standing inches in front of him with the bullet in between his fingers.

The robber’s gun shakes in his hand after witnessing a bullet stop in midair. He looks at Baekhyun in horror. “What the fuck is going on?” He yells, trying to shoot Baekhyun again.

Once again, the mysterious man catches the bullet in his hand like it was nothing. Baekhyun lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

The robber looks at the floating bullets in pure disbelief. This isn’t possible. He looks at Baekhyun one last time and runs out the front door without looking back.  


────────────   


The bullet is headed directly for Baekhyun’s chest. He’s finally going to die and Sehun can move on to his next assignment. 

_ He can forget about Baekhyun. _

A chill runs through Sehun’s body from the thought of that. He has observed Baekhyun for three days straight, learning about things he shouldn’t know. Baekhyun’s secrets, fears, and dreams. The human wants to be happy, whatever that feels like. 

But Sehun knows Baekhyun will never achieve that because his life is about to end.

Another chill interrupts Sehun’s content disposition. Everything about this situation feels wrong to him. It feels unfair. What did this person do to gain the worst luck on the planet? Why can’t Baekhyun be happy? Why does he have to die? Why does he have to die _ sad _?

The reaper’s body reacts before his mind does. He teleports in front of Baekhyun and catches the bullet. The bullet that was supposed to end Baekhyun’s life. It feels heavy in between his fingers, like it shouldn’t be there. 

It shouldn’t.

It should be in Baekhyun’s chest.

Another bullet leaves the gun. This one on a path to Baekhyun’s forehead. Sehun catches that one, too. 

The stunned and disoriented thief scurries out of the apartment, leaving the reaper with Baekhyun and Mongryong. 

Baekhyun can definitely see Sehun now, but that’s the last of his problems. He’s just prevented a human from dying, and he doesn’t know why.  


────────────   


“Your brother left this on the door…” Sehun cautiously approaches Baekhyun, careful not to scare him any further. Baekhyun stares at the reaper like a deer caught in headlights. He snatches the note without saying a word. It reads:

_ I didn’t know how much food to give Mongryong, so I might have given him too much. Sorry. Also, Kyungsoo told me you lost your job… If you need anything, call me. - Chanyeol _

“He also left his wallet again.” Sehun points at the forgotten piece of leather on the kitchen counter. Cogs are turning inside Baekhyun’s head until something finally clicks.

“Again?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows knit in confusion and slight fear. “How did you know he left it here before?”

Sehun has no chance to answer because Baekhyun’s brother decides to walk through the still open front door at that exact moment. “Holy shit, Baek, I came back over because I left my wallet again but then I heard gunshots… Did you hear them, too?” The question sounds a little inaudible because Chanyeol sounds out of breathe, like he ran all the way here. Nonetheless, Baekhyun heard every word but decides not to comment. Chanyeol notices the way the older looks dead stiff. “Are you okay?”  


────────────   


Birds are steadily chirping, the sun is beaming, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. No one could have guessed anything terrible would happen on such a perfect day. Then again Baekhyun has always been told to expect the unexpected by his next door neighbor, Minseok. Someone who’s very cryptic.

After getting Chanyeol to leave, Baekhyun is left in his apartment with the man who saved his life. A haunting thought won’t shake from Baekhyun’s head and he hates to imagine it. 

_ If I got killed, Chanyeol would have been the one to find my dead body. _

He’s glad the man (who’s still standing in front of him) decided to pop out of nowhere and stop those bullets. Not because he wants to preserve his life for as long as possible, but because he wants to be there for his brother. 

Baekhyun can only imagine how Chanyeol would have reacted to finding him in a pool of his own blood. He shudders at the thought. He doesn’t want to think about his near death experience anymore. All he wants to figure out now is who this man is. Or _ what _ he is.

Chanyeol and the thief didn’t acknowledge the man’s presence. Could they not see him? Mongryong also pays the man no attention which is weird in itself. The dog makes it his duty to sniff out any strangers he comes into contact with. He’s friendly and never hesitates to approach people. The fact that Mongryong doesn’t care about the man is a huge red flag. Not to mention how the man knew Chanyeol lost his wallet yesterday. Is he some kind of stalker? How did he get into the apartment?

“Your thoughts are loud, Baekhyun.”

_ He can hear my thoughts? _

“Not all of them... Only the important ones.”

Baekhyun’s blood runs cold and he suddenly feels dizzy. He takes a seat on the couch to prevent himself from falling. More than one emotion overtakes him, the most prevalent being relief, confusion, and fear. Baekhyun feels terribly exposed. His head falls in his hands, “What are you? My guardian angel or something?” Baekhyun quietly chuckles, amused by his own question.

The man opts to neither confirm nor deny Baekhyun’s claim. Instead he offers a name, “I’m called Sehun.” 

A guardian angel… To Baekhyun and any sane person, there’s no way things like that can exist in real life. He feels like he’s starting to lose it. Guardian angels are only real in fairy tales, movies, shows… Not here on Earth. Not in the entire universe. Baekhyun releases another laugh. He’s legitimately going crazy.

What else would make sense? No human can catch a speeding bullet in their hand, become invisible, or read minds… This Sehun guy _ must _ be an angel. 

After gathering his thoughts, Baekhyun takes a good look at the apparent angel. Jet black hair, expressive eyebrows, pink lips, and dead eyes. Sehun’s eyes hold no life in them and it’s honestly terrifying. Baekhyun can’t look away. 

The angel appears emotionless, numb to any feelings as far as Baekhyun can tell or he’s just a pro at masking them. Baekhyun isn’t sure.

Sudden envy gathers in the pit of his stomach. This angel or whatever he is has the ability to not feel _ anything_. Baekhyun would do anything to shut off his emotions for at least one day.

“Why do you assume I can’t feel anything?” Sehun tilts his head at Baekhyun and the latter can’t help but find it a little endearing.

Baekhyun tilts his head just to mock the angel. “Am I wrong?” He says.

“No,” Sehun stuffs his left hand in the back pocket of his black jeans. “I am only asking why you assumed.” 

“Uhm, your eyes.” Baekhyun stands up from the couch and walks toward Sehun to get a closer look at the angel’s dull, brown eyes. “They’re unwavering. Cold, almost. Not only that, though... Besides you saving me, you don’t react much. I have never come across someone who looks totally inexpressive. It’s kinda unnatural and scary, no offense.”

“Emotions are part of human nature. I am not human.” Sehun states. It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself rather than Baekhyun. “...Stay out of trouble, Baekhyun. Stay _ here_. Don’t leave this apartment. I’ll be back later.”


	3. Chapter Three

Sehun’s far away, in a different dimension, and still able to hear some of Baekhyun’s thoughts. It’s maddening, but slightly comforting knowing that the human is okay. 

Saving Baekhyun shouldn’t have felt that satisfying. It shouldn’t have felt like anything at all. He shouldn’t have saved him in the first place. Stopping that bullet should not have crossed his mind.

But it did and he wants to know why.

Sehun knows for a fact that Death will continuously come for Baekhyun. It was Baekhyun’s time to go and it didn’t happen, so naturally, the universe will stop at nothing until the human passes away.

In addition, the reaper is in trouble, too. He’s sure he won’t be let off the hook for preventing a death. It breaks The Bond, endangering everyone there and on Earth.

The Bond is where Sehun is currently located. It’s the parallel of Earth, a perfect copy of the planet, but also different in many ways. It’s where the reapers and Death live. No other being can step foot into this realm.

There’s no technology here. No daytime, only night. 

One distinct feature of The Bond that stands out from the rest is it’s deafening silence. There’s no sound at all. No busy streets, no conversations, no animals causing ruckus. Sehun could probably hear a needle drop miles away.

A human wouldn’t last a minute in The Bond. They would go crazy in seconds. Sure, it is quite unsettling, but it’s Sehun’s home and he can’t imagine living anywhere else.

_ Where did he go? _

The fleeting thought came from Baekhyun’s mind and it took a moment for Sehun to realize Baekhyun was wondering where he’s run off to. 

_ I’m scared. _

Something awoke in Sehun after hearing Baekhyun’s unspoken confession. He doesn’t know what to describe it as... He’s never felt emotions after all. 

What he does know: The feeling that just crawled through him _ was _ an emotion.

Sehun inwardly sighs. He’s been stuck to Baekhyun’s mind for too long. Humans think too much. So many meaningless ideas, emotions, and whatnot pour inside their brains like clockwork. Sehun is thankful he can’t hear every single thing that falls into Baekhyun’s mind. He would lose it. He’s already losing it.

At this point, Baekhyun should have been dead and Sehun would have been completely unconnected from Baekhyun’s thoughts because, well, he would have been dead.

But that’s not the case right now.

Baekhyun is very much alive and scared for some reason.

It’s taking everything within Sehun to not pop back into the human’s apartment and check on him…

He sighs again. There isn’t that much to lose, right?

Without wasting another breath, Sehun leaves The Bond, forgetting why he had teleported there in the first place, and appears right in front of a frightened Baekhyun.  


────────────   


Sehun had only been gone for not even twenty minutes and subtle chaos erupts inside Baekhyun’s apartment. On the way to his room, Baekhyun slipped on a puddle of water and almost landed face first on the hardwood floor. He has always been a clumsy person so he thought nothing of it. Later he got hungry and decided to eat leftovers from the other night, and he ended up choking on a piece of meat. Luckily, he eventually unlodged it from his throat. It was a close call.

Baekhyun blames the weird occurrences on his bad luck until Mongryong tries attacking him. The corgi suddenly ran at him, which isn’t out of character—he's a playful dog—but Mongryong’s aggressive approach was anything but playful. Baekhyun was nearly bitten on the arm before he managed to escape.

Currently, Baekhyun has himself locked away in his room, hiding from Mongryong’s out of the ordinary behavior. He can hear his dog—who is normally the sweetest animal ever—angrily barking and growling right outside the door.

Baekhyun lets out a shaky breath and stands up from his crouched position in front of the door. He wants to try calming Mongryong down now. He can't hide away in his room forever.

Slowly, he turns the knob and slides the door open, letting the hostile corgi run inside. Baekhyun immediately guards himself from Mongryong with the closest object that happened to be near him—a small pillow—which did nothing to stop the fluffy ball of anger trying to murder him.

As he ran away from Mongryong all over the apartment, Baekhyun can't help but wonder where that guardian angel of his disappeared to. Now, would be a nice time to pop up and put an end to his dog’s reign of terror.

Interrupting his train of thought, Baekhyun slips over the same puddle of water near the kitchen and falls on his ass. Mongryong takes this opportunity to crawl on top of his owner and chomp down on his neck.

Baekhyun yelps in pain and scrambles back to his feet as he clutches onto his neck to inspect the damage. He feels a thick liquid run in between his fingers. He's bleeding, and he can make out the deep indentation of Mongryong’s bite mark.

Now scared shitless, Baekhyun not only wants, but needs help. Just as the thought passes through his mind, Sehun is already standing in front of him with the unwavering look of nothingness still plastered onto his attractive face.

The angel bends down and places a hand on Mongryong’s back and just like that, the corgi lays down on the floor and happily waves its tail around like he hadn't just torn into Baekhyun’s neck.

Sehun then gestures towards the couch and Baekhyun sits down without question. The angel removes Baekhyun’s hand from his neck to see the damage caused by Mongryong. For a split second, Baekhyun swore he saw something flash in Sehun’s eyes, but it was too quick for him to distinguish what it was.

A cold hand makes contact with Baekhyun’s neck and he can't help the shiver that runs down his spine. His breath hitches in his throat when Sehun tightens his grip. The pain from Mongryong’s bite soon fades into nothing.

When Sehun removes his hand, Baekhyun’s goes in to check what just happened. His fingers brush against undamaged, smooth skin. The bite mark completely vanished. “Did you—”

“Yes, I healed it.” Sehun takes a seat next to Baekhyun and the latter watches the angel’s every move, bewildered by his abilities. He wonders what the being is completely capable of. 

Sehun is invisible to everyone but Baekhyun, he can catch speeding bullets, read minds, calm a raging animal down, and also heal wounds? What else can he do?

“That’s nothing you should worry about.” He responds to Baekhyun’s thoughts.

“Please stop reading my mind. Can’t you turn that off?” Baekhyun scoots over on the couch, thinking the short distance put up a wall between his thoughts and Sehun.

“I can’t unless you...” Sehun’s sentence trails off while thinking of a way to lay the morbid information down gently.

“Unless?” Baekhyun gets impatient waiting on an answer. The angel appears to have zoned out and the anticipation is killing the shorter.

Sehun decides there’s no nice way to put this. He answers, “Unless you die.”

Baekhyun stills and stares at the angel with wide eyes. “What?” He manages to ask after freezing up.

“I apologize for not correcting you earlier, Baekhyun, but I’m not your guardian angel. Such a thing doesn’t exist in our world.”

“Then what are you?”

“A reaper.”

Baekhyun knows what reapers are... or what he’s seen on TV at least. They collect a person’s soul once they die. They’re usually depicted as shadowy figures in black cloaks that carry around a scythe. Most of the time they appear as creepy skeletons. Sehun doesn’t look like anything Baekhyun assumes a reaper to be.

Then again… Sehun doesn’t look like a stereotypical guardian angel either. He doesn’t have giant wings on his back and there’s certainly no halo floating above his head.

Instead, Sehun resembles a normal human. He has on black jeans paired with a simple black turtleneck. He clearly isn’t a skeleton and there’s no scythe in sight.

If Baekhyun never witnessed Sehun’s abnormal abilities, then he would think the guy’s lying. 

“Reapers dress like humans to blend in. There are times where we can be seen by humans… Like now. Plus, we are not invisible to the naked eye. Only easy to miss. Though, we can become completely invisible if needed.”

“Okay, but I don’t understand why you showed up in _ my _ apartment? Am I dying soon or something?”

“I was assigned to collect your soul and waited for you to die over the course of three days. Then that gunman showed up. He was supposed to be the one to kill you, but I prevented it from happening.”

“...Why?”

“I don’t know.”  


────────────  


A full, anxious week flew by without death falling upon Baekhyun. Sehun made sure of it. Things would be much simpler if he didn’t continuously protect Baekhyun from his inevitable death. Sehun could go back to his normal duties of collecting souls. He won’t be able to move on to another human until his current assignment has passed.

The reaper hasn’t been to The Bond since last week and he isn’t sure he wants to. He knows he won’t like what he sees there. Keeping a human alive for this long has surely broken his home plane. If this continues, whatever’s happening inside The Bond will reach Earth, too. 

Sehun can’t let that happen.

Baekhyun isn’t worth all this trouble. Preserving this human’s life is causing more harm than good. Nonetheless, Sehun ignores all warnings and continues to protect Baekhyun.

A loud bark coming from Mongryong interrupts Sehun’s complicated thoughts. The corgi is wagging its tail and looking up at Sehun expectedly. Over the past few days, Mongryong started noticing Sehun little by little and now he can finally see him. 

“Are you hungry?” Sehun bends down and scratches a spot behind Mongryong’s ear. Not expecting an answer from the dog, Sehun stands back up and attempts to find dog food.

He looks through some cabinet in the kitchen but doesn’t see any. Mongryong runs into the kitchen and paws at a cabinet near the fridge.

Sehun asks, “Is it in there?” He opens the cabinet door once Mongryong backs away and finds the dog food he had been looking for. It only takes him a few seconds to fill up the corgi’s bowl and give him water as well.

Now, the reaper needs to check on Baekhyun which is becoming a very grueling task as the days pass. The human doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk at all. It’s possible he’s trying to soak in the fact that he’s supposed to be dead, but whenever Sehun tries making any type of conversation he’s met with silence.

Baekhyun has done nothing but sleep the entire week without attempting to leave his apartment or figure out the unbelievable situation he’s found himself stuck in.

The reaper knocks on Baekhyun’s room door once and nothing happens, so he tries again. Then, he hears shuffling on the other end. Soon enough, the door opens revealing a tired Baekhyun wrapped up in a soft looking blanket. “What?”

“I’m checking on you.” Sehun simply responds.

“Well,” Baekhyun pulls the blanket off himself and balls it up in his arms. “I’m not dead yet.”

“I see that… Are you okay, though? Should I get you anything?” Sehun fiddles with the sleeves of his shirt and looks the human in the eyes while awaiting an answer. “I fed your dog.” He adds.

“Thanks. You didn’t have to… I could have done it myself, but thanks.” Baekhyun opens his door wider as a silent invitation for the reaper to step inside his room. Sehun gets the hint and does just that. Baekhyun closes the door behind him. “I’m not okay, by the way.” He finally answers.

“Anything I can do to fix that?”

“No,” Baekhyun replies bluntly. “But I need someone to talk to right now. My head might explode if I isolate myself in here any longer. You don’t mind talking to me, do you?”

“I don’t.”

“I thought losing my job was bad.” Baekhyun dryly laughs and sits down on the bed. Sehun takes a seat at the desk near the door, turning the chair around so he can face Baekhyun. Sehun’s spent a lot of time in this room for the first three days he was assigned to the human. Baekhyun rarely left the room, it’s his safe space. There’s a bunch of sheet music pinned to the wall above the bed and also some scattered on the desk behind Sehun. They’re remnants of the job he lost, but he doesn’t want to get rid of them. Baekhyun was a pianist and singer at a popular bar. His paycheck plus the generous tips were worth the long demanding hours. He got fired for getting into an argument with the obnoxious bartender over something not worth his breath. Of course, Baekhyun was the only one of the two to lose his job. “But I guess the universe decided losing my job wasn’t horrible enough so it decided to kill me, too… At least _ that _didn’t happen… thanks to you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Maybe I’m a little lucky…” Baekhyun gets comfortable and wraps himself back into the blanket. “It’s not common for a reaper to save someone, is it? Like, how come you decided to keep me alive? Why not let that bullet hit me? I don’t get it, Sehun. I mean, I’m happy that I’m not dead right now, but am I really, um, worth saving?”

“It’s not common for reapers to save someone, no. We are taught to avoid doing so. I can’t answer your other questions because I don’t know the answer myself.”

Baekhyun stares at the reaper for a minute before saying, “There’s no way you broke a rule and not know why you did. What did you think before catching the bullet?”

Sehun looks at the ceiling while trying to remember what he felt on that day. Then the same familiar chill runs through his spine again and the overwhelming pit in his stomach returns. The reaper suddenly feels sick from imagining the day Baekhyun almost died.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asks after witnessing Sehun take a shaky deep breath.

Sehun nods with his eyes closed and opens them again while trying to push down the emotion that just took over his body. “I’m… I’m feeling an emotion, but I don’t know what it is or how to explain it. It’s how I felt when you almost died…”

“That emotion is what made you save me?” Baekhyun questions.

“I guess. Do you know what it is?”

“Depends on what you were thinking at the same time you felt it... Do you remember?”

Sehun crosses his arms in an attempt to somewhat control his body. He can still feel the heavy pit in his stomach and it’s not pleasant at all. “I had been waiting on you to die for three whole days. Some assignments can go on for ages and it can get very tedious. Usually, reapers prefer assignments that are short and quick. Short being a couple hours. Three days is a long time for an assignment. I have never gotten one as long as yours before. In those three days, I learned a lot about you. Too much about you, I think. It felt like I knew you personally, which is weird because a lot of the information I found out about you came from your head, and not something you told me out loud. Your thoughts are overwhelming, Baekhyun. I have never heard someone’s brain reveal so much until I got assigned to you. Your thoughts are a cry for help, whether you realize or not, so that’s what I did… I helped. It’s like, seeing you die would have felt like a loss for me even though I have zero connection to you.”

“I see.” Baekhyun almost frowns, “A cry for help?”


	4. Chapter Four

** _Chanyeol_ **

_ He hasn’t left his apartment for more than a week, Soo. _

_ I’m worried. _

_ 11:27 P.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ He must be pretty upset about losing his job. _

_ Has he mentioned anything about it? _

_ 11:48 P.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ Whenever I bring it up, he says it’s fine and he’ll work on finding another job soon. _

_ It must be something else that’s bothering him. _

_ 11:48 P.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ Like what? _

_ 11:49 P.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ I don’t know. Maybe you can find out for me. _

_ He’s more open with you… _

_ 11:50 P.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ You’re his brother, Yeol. _

_ 11:50 P.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ You’re his best friend… Come on, _

_ just pay him a visit today. He’s not telling me anything. :( _

_ 11:51 P.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ Fine. Only because I’m _

_ worried about him, too. _

_ 11:52 P.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ You’re the best. _

_ Text me afterwards? _

_ 11:52 P.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ Yeah. _

_ 11:53 P.M. _

────────────  


During high school, Kyungsoo met Chanyeol first out of the two brothers. They were partnered up for a English assignment and quickly became friends. Movie theater trips, late night park visits, and library study dates were a frequent occurrence between them. It didn’t take long for the boys to catch feelings for one another.

They dated throughout the rest of high school, college, and are still going strong as a couple. Along the way, Kyungsoo would occasionally hang out with his boyfriend’s brother, Baekhyun. They bonded over their love of singing and could relate to each other’s introverted nature. As time went on, they considered each other close friends. Kyungsoo got accustomed to Baekhyun telling him anything. Baekhyun has always been really open about his feelings. Nonetheless, getting the elder to reveal anything right now feels like a job and a half. 

Kyungsoo _ knows _something is wrong.

Baekhyun’s bags under his blood-shot eyes made him wonder if he’s getting any proper sleep. “Are you having any trouble sleeping?” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but ask.

Baekhyun shrugs, not meeting his friend’s eyes. “Not really. I sleep okay.”

Kyungsoo nods, but he’s not buying it. “You can tell me anything… You know that right?”

Baekhyun glances at Kyungsoo and then at the ground. Then, something unusual happens. Kyungsoo watches as Baekhyun suddenly looks toward the empty spot next to him on the couch. He stares as if he’s listening to something.

“Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun snaps his head back to Kyungsoo. An apologetic smile forms on the boy’s face. “I’m sorry. I was… looking out the window. I thought I heard something.”

“What did you hear?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun stands up and makes his way towards his friend. “Look, Kyungsoo, I dunno what Chanyeol told you, but I’m okay. You should go home. I’ll call you if I need anything, I promise.”

Kyungsoo is thoroughly unconvinced but decides to accept the lie for now. “Alright. I’ll see you whenever. Take care, Baekhyun.”

“You too.”  


────────────  


**Kyungsoo**

_ He didn’t tell me anything. _

_ Kinda kicked me out tbh. _

_ 12:30 A.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ What? _

_ 12:30 A.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ He’s being weird. _

_ I don’t know but I would let him have his space for now. _

_ 12:31 A.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ You think he needs to be alone for a bit? _

_ 12:33 A.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ Exactly. _

_ If he needs us, then he will come to us. _

_ Simple as that. _

_ 12:34 A.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ I guess. _

_ Do you think he would go out to dinner with us? _

_ 12:34 A.M. _

**Kyungsoo**

_ Maybe? _

_ Ask him tomorrow. _

_ 12:35 A.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ Gotcha. See you later, babe. _

_ Thanks for visiting him today. _

_ 12:36 A.M. _  


────────────  


“Don’t tell him anything, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun looks at the reaper who spoke next to him on the couch.

“Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looks back to Kyungsoo, taking his attention away from Sehun. An apologetic smile forms on his face. “I’m sorry. I was… looking out the window. I thought I heard something.” He lies.

“What did you hear?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun stands up and makes his way towards his friend. “Look, Kyungsoo, I don’t know what Chanyeol told you, but I’m okay. You should go home. I’ll call you if I need anything, I promise.” He ultimately regrets concluding his friend’s visit like this but he doesn’t want to risk going against the reaper’s wishes. He wants to tell Kyungsoo and Chanyeol everything, but he can’t.

Baekhyun knows Kyungsoo didn’t believe a word that left his mouth. “Alright. I’ll see you whenever. Take care, Baekhyun.”

“You too.” He shuts the door behind Kyungsoo and sighs. Immediately, he leaves the living room for the comfort of his bedroom, letting his dog and the reaper follow him inside.

After settling into his bed, Baekhyun stares at Sehun for a beat too long, resulting in the latter raising an eyebrow in question.

“What?” The reaper crosses his arms, a habit Baekhyun notices he does when he gets defensive. “You can’t tell anyone about this until you’re safe.”

“And when will I be safe, Sehun?”

“I’ll figure it out. Loopholes exist… I can’t be the only reaper who’s rescued their assignment. I would have to go back to The Bond to do that, but I’m afraid of leaving you here alone.”

“The Bond?”

“It’s like, uh, Earth. A parallel. Reapers live there… and Death.”

“Death? Like…”

“Yeah, he’s the one in charge. I’m doing everything in my power to avoid him, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows exactly what I did and my exact whereabouts. What’s putting me on edge is that he hasn’t sent anyone for us yet.”

Baekhyun soaks in the new information, it sends a newfound fear through him. Not only does he have to avoid death, but now he has to worry about Death, too. He simply can’t win. “Who would he send and what will happen when they get here?”

“Let’s not think about that right now, Baekhyun. You should get some sleep.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to have another nightmare.”

“Another? What are they about?”

“They’re all the same. That day… When I almost got killed. In the dream, everything is the same except the bullet hits me. You’re not there to stop it.” Baekhyun frowns while getting under his blanket. Mongryong climbs into the bed and cuddles against his owner’s side. “I don’t want to experience it again, so I’m staying up tonight.”

“That’s not healthy, Baekhyun.”

“Who cares? I’m gonna die anyway—”

“You’re _ not _going to die.” Sehun interjects.

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Because I’m not going to let it happen.”

“Maybe it should happen... I don’t want you or anyone getting in trouble because of me. Could you make sure Chanyeol’s okay after I…” The sentence trails off, the room fills with a long silence until the reaper breaks it.

“Baekhyun, you’re not dying.”

Baekhyun covers his face behind the blanket and lets out a loud, unstable exhale. “I’m… I’m paranoid every day, Sehun.” His voice cracks. “You can’t blame me for being scared.”

“I’m not blaming you for being scared. You shouldn’t be giving up so easily, though… I can help you with the nightmares.”

“How?” Baekhyun removes the blanket from over his face after wiping away the tears that escaped his eyes during their talk.

“Remember when I calmed Mongryong down?”

Baekhyun nods. That’s something he’ll never forget. All Sehun did was touch the angry corgi and he instantly stopped growling. 

“It’s called Mental Inducement. Reapers can alter an animal or a human’s brain to go into a desired state—mostly positive—causing short or long term change in emotions. It’s easier with animals, so it only requires one touch with them and it’s permanent. On the other hand, humans are less impressionable… I would have to hold your hand all night in order for your brain to stay away from any bad dreams. One touch won’t work.”

“Oh,” Baekhyun sits up. “Why do reapers need that ability? Don’t you guys only need to collect souls?”

“It’s a protective measure. Animals are often hostile towards reapers when they’re able to detect us.”

“What about humans?”

“When someone dies, we temporarily calm their loved ones down to help their mourning process go a little smoother. Losing someone you love is always damaging to the mind.”

_ Would he have helped Chanyeol? Or Kyungsoo? _

Baekhyun’s thought is clearly heard by Sehun, but he decides not to directly comment on it. “It’s a mandatory step during assignments after collecting the soul.”

“I see.” Baekhyun scoots over on the bed until his back is touching the wall behind him. “You can sleep… I mean, lay down next to me if you want to.”

“Sitting in the chair is fine.” Sehun replies, hesitant to invade Baekhyun’s personal space.

“That’s creepy.” Baekhyun pats the empty spot next to him. “It’s fine, I trust you. Your shoes are off, right?”

“Yeah, they’re by the front door.”

“Climb in then…” The reaper tries getting onto the bed but the dog is taking up the spot he’s supposed to lay down on. Baekhyun giggles, “Move over, Mongie.”   


────────────

There’s a tiny mole right above the corner of Baekhyun’s lip and another on his cheek. Sehun hadn’t noticed them before.

He spots an even bigger mole on the human’s thumb located on the hand he’s holding. To inspect the mark a little closer, he moves their intertwined hands upward until they’re eye level.

_ It looks like a chocolate chip. _

From the moment he laid eyes on the human, Sehun learned that everything about him is quite endearing. Baekhyun has soft-looking, curly brown hair that often falls over his eyes. He also likes wearing clothes that are oversized, making him appear smaller than he actually is. Not to mention the flowery scent that he gives off.

Sehun unconsciously tightens his grip on Baekhyun’s hand, determined to protect him from any possible harm.

The same familiar knot in Sehun’s stomach returns, but it feels different this time. It’s not unpleasant, only hard to ignore. His heart is pounding against his chest as he watches Baekhyun.

The reaper closes his eyes, hoping to get rid of the unwelcome emotions plaguing his body and mind, no doubt caused by the desirable human inches away from him. Though, shutting his eyes does not help at all. It only makes Sehun painfully aware of the pleasant sensation of his hand attached to Baekhyun’s. His sense of touch has heightened tenfold as his mind zeroes in on their tangled fingers. 

Maybe it’s his imagination, but Sehun can feel their hands heating up by the second. It’s inviting. Warm. Sweaty. 

Intimate.

Sehun doesn’t notice Baekhyun has moved closer until he feels the human’s breath against cheek. It elicits a shiver down his spine and he opens his eyes to look at the culprit.

Baekhyun definitely is closer. More specifically, his face is just a breath away. The blissed out expression taking over his features has Sehun wondering what he’s dreaming about. He has no way of knowing until the other boy wakes up so he can ask. While he can pick up on Baekhyun’s thoughts, his dreams are not to be intruded upon. 

A reaper’s abilities stem from necessity and it’s not necessary for them to see a human’s dream in order to collect their soul. However, their conscious thoughts are a map to their death. Reapers are given little to no information on when or how their assignments are dying. A human’s trail of thought is what makes a reaper’s job a little easier.

Having said that, Baekhyun’s thoughts are no longer a map to his death but rather a device used to predict his next move. A cautionary reminder for Sehun. A protective layer.

If Sehun knows what Baekhyun’s going to do before he does it, the easier it is to prevent any harm falling upon him.   


────────────  


The next morning, Baekhyun wakes up with a clear head. He doesn’t remember what he dreamt about last night and he doesn’t care. As long as it wasn’t his recurring nightmare. It's the first night of many where he hasn't woken up scared out of his mind. He didn’t think the reaper’s “Mental Inducement” would work.

Speaking of, Sehun’s still holding his hand; eyes shut, chest steadily rising and falling. He's sleeping. 

Baekhyun thought reapers couldn’t go to sleep. It’s what Sehun told him, anyway. For the past week, Sehun would wander around the apartment or take Mongryong on walks at night. He’s never seen Sehun asleep until now. 

An internal battle happens inside Baekhyun’s head on whether he should wake him up or not. After little thought, he removes his hand out of Sehun’s grasp and gently shakes the reaper until his eyes fluttered open, “Wake up.”

Sehun squints at Baekhyun, confused. He bolts upright once he realizes the extent of the current situation. “Was I asleep?” The question is more directed towards himself more than the man next to him. Everything he knows about reapers, about himself, is getting thrown out the window the longer he lingers in Baekhyun’s presence. First emotions… and now sleeping. The reaper can't wrap his head around why this is happening to him.

“I think so.” Baekhyun replies. His brows pull together as he watches Sehun blankly stare ahead. 

“You didn't mean to go to sleep, did you?”

“No,” Sehun takes an exasperated breath and gets off the bed. “It’s not supposed to be possible, even.”

“Then, how—”

“Baekhyun, I _ don’t _ know.” His tone was harsher than he wanted it to be. A part of him is blaming Baekhyun for his body behaving in unfamiliar ways, and that’s not fair. He apologizes for cutting Baekhyun off and the latter waves it off.

“It’s fine…” Baekhyun yawns. “I should go make sure Mongryong isn’t getting himself into any trouble.” He climbs out of bed, puts on the white slippers next to it, and grabs his phone from its place on the nightstand. He pockets it and peeks at Sehun from the corner of his eye. “Thanks, by the way, for the whole dream thing.”

Sehun only nods, not trusting his voice anymore.

Before Baekhyun could leave the room, his phone vibrates in his pants. He pulls it out and looks at his screen and sees the Caller ID, _ Yeol! _, with a photo of his younger brother behind it. He taps on the accept button, not ready for any questions he’s about to be asked. “Hello?”

“Hey! I didn’t think you’d be up so early… Did you sleep last night?”

“Fell asleep right after Kyungsoo left.”

“Oh, that’s good. He told me it seemed like you weren’t sleeping enough or at all.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Chanyeol.”

“Can’t help it.” There’s a long pause on the line and Baekhyun can hear shuffling on the other end. “Sorry about that, I’m at work.”

“Any reason you called or did you only want to know about my sleeping habits?” Baekhyun plops back down on his bed and gets comfortable. Phone calls with Chanyeol usually veer off track and stop after at least an hour. They can never stay focused on one subject at a time.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” He clears his throat. “Kyungsoo and I were wondering if you’d want to join us for dinner tonight. We’re going to your favorite restaurant…”

Baekhyun immediately glances at Sehun who’s been listening to the conversation since the phone rang. The reaper shrugs, indifferent about the invite. He knows if he tags along to the dinner nothing bad will happen to Baekhyun. 

Plus, Baekhyun has been cooped up in the apartment for far too long. It’s about time he leaves for a couple hours.

“What time?”

“Uh, around 8, I think. We’ll pick you up.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“What?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose after realizing his slip up. “I mean, _ I _ will be ready. Sorry, I just woke up. I’m still tired and whatnot.”

Chanyeol laughs, “Understandable. See you later then. I would chat more, but my boss is staring me down right now.”

“Alright, bye.” Baekhyun hangs up, not giving his brother the chance to say anything else.


	5. Chapter Five

Baekhyun does his absolute best to look presentable for dinner. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol have been worried about him for days so he’s determined to reassure them. He took a long shower, styled his messy brown hair, and even bothered to apply makeup. He put on his best pair of jeans and threw on a cozy sweater to match. “How do I look?”

“Alive.”

“_ Sehun_.”

“You look good, Baekhyun,” Sehun halfheartedly corrects himself. Over the past few days, Baekhyun has learned that the reaper has a sarcastic tongue that never fails to present itself in any conversation they have together. It’s intriguing, to say the least.

It’s approaching 9 o’clock when Chanyeol knocks on the door. The sound startles Baekhyun and he can’t help the way he grabs Sehun’s arm in shock. Knowing Baekhyun won’t open the door due to trauma from his near-death experience, Sehun looks through the peep-hole and sees Chanyeol and Kyungsoo standing on the other side. “It’s them… Should I open the door for you?”

Without replying, Baekhyun collects himself, steps away from Sehun, and opens the door. He doesn’t want to depend on him all the time. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo walk inside as they greet Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol disappears into another room, most likely trying to find Mongryong. Kyungsoo remains in the living room to continue talking to Baekhyun. “You look amazing,” Kyungsoo states. “Are you ready?”

Baekhyun gives his friend a small smile, “Go fetch Chanyeol so we can leave.”

Kyungsoo shouts his boyfriend’s name and the latter reappears in the living room with Mongryong in his arms. “Put the dog down, Yeol.”

Chanyeol pouts but listens anyway. “Fine, let’s go.” He walks right through Sehun on his way out the door and Baekhyun couldn’t hold in his laughter. Sehun glares at the shorter and moves to the left to avoid Kyungsoo doing the same to him. It’s a weird feeling.

Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun a puzzled look, “What’s so funny?”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “Nothing…” He sneakily grabs Sehun’s hand and puts their interlocked palms into his jacket pocket so it doesn’t seem like he’s holding onto nothing. “Come on, Kyungsoo, I’m starving.”

“Lead the way.”

Sehun doesn’t question why Baekhyun feels the need to hold his hand. He only welcomes the physical contact by brushing his thumb over the back of Baekhyun’s hand while they step out of the apartment to meet up with Chanyeol, who’s waiting by the elevator. 

The drive to the restaurant was unexpectedly calm. Traffic wasn’t bad, they didn’t encounter any rowdy drivers, and Sehun made sure to put a stop to anything that could possibly damage the human clinging onto his hand. Absolutely nothing happened, but Sehun isn’t letting his guard down yet.

Loud conversation and laughter fills their ears as they walk into the Italian-style restaurant. Baekhyun missed coming here. It’s nothing fancy, but very homely and the food is great. Plus, it’s not too far from his apartment. Even before he almost died, Baekhyun stopped coming here because he usually ate at his job or cooked at home. He’s thoroughly grateful the couple invited him.

They sit at a booth by the window and Baekhyun scoots all the way to the end to make room for Sehun. A waiter comes up and takes their order. While they wait on their food, the impending discussion focuses on Baekhyun when Chanyeol starts bombarding him with questions. “Any luck with job hunting?”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “Haven’t found anything yet, no.” He nervously fiddles with Sehun’s fingers under the table. “I’m… distracted right now, so job hunting will have to wait.”

“What are you distracted by?” Kyungsoo asks, curious.

“You can tell us, Baek.” Chanyeol adds.

Baekhyun avoids eye contact, trying to think of a believable lie. He catches Sehun watching him in his peripheral view. Before he can fully think it through, Baekhyun blurts, “I met someone.”

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo glance at each other for a split second and then back at Baekhyun. Both of them are confused, no doubt. “Like… a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Friend?” Kyungsoo leans forward, a sign that he won’t settle for a vague reply.

“Um,” Baekhyun momentarily looks at Sehun to see how he feels about the story he’s making up. The reaper nods, he doesn’t see a problem with alerting the couple of his existence. All he has to do is pretend to be a human. “A boyfriend.” Baekhyun answers.

“You could have said friend.” Sehun speaks up for the first time tonight.

Baekhyun ignores him and continues, “I met him at the bar I used to work at. During my fight with the bartender, he stood up for me and walked me home that night.” He lies, proud of himself for coming with a story so quickly.

“What’s his name?” Chanyeol asks, slouching in his seat, crossing his arms. Baekhyun can already sense the protectiveness exuding from his younger brother. 

“Sehun.”

“When can I meet him?”

Kyungsoo playfully hits his boyfriend, “Take it easy, babe. You’re gonna scare the poor guy away and he’s not even here.”

“Rude.” Sehun jokes. The waiter comes back to their table with food and drinks preventing Chanyeol from pounding Baekhyun with any other questions about his apparent boyfriend. They start eating in silence, leaving their previous conversation behind. As Sehun watches them devour their food, he hears his own stomach make a ghastly noise. It’s loud enough to cause Baekhyun to stop eating and stare at the reaper in confusion.

_ Are you hungry? _

“No?” Sehun’s reply to Baekhyun’s thought is meant to be a statement but it sounds more like a question. Reapers have no appetite, they don’t eat. He shouldn’t be craving the food in front of him right now. “Maybe?”

_ I thought reapers don’t eat… Remember when I cooked those noodles and you damn near gagged? _

Sehun almost laughs, “Just give me one of your biscuits, Baekhyun.”

While the couple across from them isn’t looking, Baekhyun hands Sehun two pieces of bread on his plate. Sehun applies invisibility to the food so it doesn’t look like there’s floating biscuits in the air. “Thanks.”

It doesn’t take long for Sehun to finish eating the bread. They don’t fill him up much, but it’s enough to stop his stomach from making noise.

Sehun then catches a glimpse of Baekhyun’s plate and sees something odd protruding from his pasta. He reaches over and pulls it out only to find out it’s a sharp piece of glass, small enough for Baekhyun to miss. Thankfully, the reaper spotted it before Baekhyun could swallow it.

Baekhyun stares at the glass in Sehun’s hand in disbelief. Suddenly, he feels sick to his stomach. The fork in his hand drops to his plate as he leans away from the table.

“Baekhyun, you alright?” Chanyeol asks, concern evident on his face.

Baekhyun can only manage to shake his head, “I wanna go home.”  


────────────  


After yesterday night’s near disaster, Baekhyun and Sehun decide to go grocery shopping at the store across the street. Baekhyun’s fridge is getting empty and with Sehun gaining an appetite, they need to fill it back up pronto. The trip went without incident and on the way back to the apartment, they run into Baekhyun’s neighbor and friend, Minseok, who has no problem spotting the reaper. 

Minseok helps them carry bags of food into Baekhyun’s apartment and he lingers around to make conversation with them. “Who’s this Baekhyun?” He gestures towards Sehun with a teasing look.

“My boyfriend.” He replies without missing a beat. He likes how it sounds; _ Sehun being his boyfriend. _ Although, a lie, Baekhyun wouldn’t mind it coming true. Sehun’s an attractive guy with a nice, growing personality. Baekhyun can’t deny his infatuation with the reaper. It’s possibly because he feels safe near him, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that he’s crushing hard. It’s been a while since he’s emotionally involved himself with another person. Sehun may be the one that breaks his streak.

Minseok doesn’t stay for long. He bids them farewell and tells Baekhyun to contact him more often.

Once he leaves, Baekhyun instantly asks, “Were you, like, invisible just now or did you let Minseok see you?”

“Thought I was invisible…?” Sehun starts putting the groceries up with Baekhyun’s help. “Maybe I forgot.”

The subject is brushed aside. It doesn’t matter if anyone can see Sehun now as he’s supposed to be meeting Chanyeol and Kyungsoo soon.

After they’re done with the groceries, Baekhyun and Sehun end up watching a movie together. The reaper zones out as soon as it starts. Baekhyun hugging onto his arm doesn’t help. His thoughts fall into an uncontrollable spiral about his feelings for the human. He’s simply confused.

Sehun isn’t unfamiliar with the concept of love or infatuation. He’s reaped souls of many people who were very vocal about their love for their partners, families, or friends. In fact, some deaths are the result of love gone wrong. He’s witnessed it one too many times. There were humans who sacrificed themselves for their loved ones. Humans who didn’t want to live another day without their significant others. Humans who killed because of undeniable jealousy. 

Love is a brutal and confusing thing, desperate to hang over the heads of anyone willing to fall victim to it. Love is one of the only things humans can’t suppress nor ignore. Once felt... it’s just as inevitable as death is. 

Love pours into a human’s heart and clings like a parasite, unmoving. 

Despite the flurry of emotions Sehun has experienced in the past couple of days, he has yet to feel something as overbearing as love or, well, he doesn’t think he has. He’s not entirely sure. Sehun’s uncertainty is what leads him to questioning Baekhyun. “Have you ever been in love?”

Baekhyun gives Sehun the side-eye. They’re sitting next to each other on the couch, staring into space, the movie in front of them forgotten. “Haven’t we all?”

Sehun remains silent, not sure of his answer to that question. As a reaper, replying should be easy. Reapers can’t feel any emotion. He should be replying with: _ No, I’m a reaper. We can’t fall in love nor even think about ever experiencing something like that. _

But Sehun knows saying that would be a straight out lie. He’s been feeling _ something _ for the human since he laid eyes on him. What he’s feeling may or may not be love, but it’s _ something_, at least.

Sehun settles with, “Maybe.”

“Maybe.” Baekhyun repeats. This time, he fully turns to look at Sehun while pausing the television. “Why did you ask?”

“I’m... curious as to how it feels.” Sehun slumps into the couch, uncomfortable under Baekhyun’s gaze.

“It’s not something I can explain, Sehun. I think love has multiple definitions depending on the relationship, you know?”

“Then what’s your definition?”

Baekhyun pouts and directs his attention towards the ceiling, “Are you really gonna make me talk about him?”

“If you want to.” Sehun doesn’t need Baekhyun to elaborate on who he’s referring to. The guy’s constantly on Baekhyun’s mind after all.

“How much do you already know about Yixing?” Baekhyun asks. Sehun’s always involuntarily listening to his thoughts. He should already know bits and pieces about his ex boyfriend.

“Only that his name is Zhang Yixing and that he’s the only person you’ve dated… You think about him a lot but not in detail. I got the impression you were trying to hide him from me.”

“Not from _ you_. Myself.” Baekhyun clarifies. “I don’t enjoy thinking about it. Just makes me feel all lonely.” He breaths out a forced laugh.

“What happened?”

What happened is a broad question for the situation at hand, but for Sehun to truly understand what Baekhyun’s definition of love is, he’ll have to start from the beginning. 

“Yixing was a Chinese exchange student and we met during high school. I was his first friend here in Korea. Maybe a little forced? Our teacher told me to give him a tour of the school and made him my desk partner because I was taking a Chinese class at the time. I wasn’t passing that class at all, but that didn’t stop her from sticking the guy with me. I introduced myself to him in broken Chinese and he laughed at me. He thought I was the funniest guy on the planet, I swear. Anything I did made him laugh and I liked the attention. I like making people smile and it wasn’t hard to make him smile. He had a nice smile, Sehun. He had this deep dimple—I’m getting off track. 

Anyway, we became friends. Whenever Chanyeol and Kyungsoo ran off and went on dates, I hung out with Yixing. He was the sweetest guy ever. Really cute, too. I started liking him pretty soon after I met him, and I’m not the type of person to keep my feelings a secret, or, I wasn’t. So, I confessed to him and that’s how we started dating. All throughout high school and into college. Things were going great and I can’t really tell you when exactly I fell in love with the guy. It happened fast and without my knowledge. 

Randomly, one day, I thought _ ‘Damn, I love Yixing.’ _ It wasn’t a feeling. Love isn’t an emotion, I don’t think. More so, a conscious decision. I decided on my own that I loved Yixing. I didn’t feel jackshit. All I knew was that I wanted him in my future. We were there for each other on good days and bad days and that’s all I could ever ask for. Someone by my side regardless of how tough life gets. He was good at that and I tried to be as well. I don’t think I tried hard enough, though. He didn’t like talking about his problems with me. Once we graduated, he hopped on a plane back to China without telling me. Apparently, he had been homesick for a while and didn’t want to worry me about it. We tried the long distance thing, but it didn’t work out. The break up was hard on me, and I couldn’t move on... I liked to imagine he was also feeling the same way.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Baekhyun waves it off. “It’s fine, really. We’re still friends.”

“Can I ask another question, Baekhyun?”

“Of course.”

“You say loving someone is a decision, right?” Baekhyun hums in agreement and Sehun continues, “When can I decide? When can I decide I’m in love with you?”

Sehun’s question is so blunt that his casual confession almost flies over Baekhyun’s head. He freezes and averts his eyes away from the reaper. He tries to ignore the heat rushing to his face as he answers the question, “…Feelings waver, it’s possible to not like someone anymore. However, um, a decision is a commitment… that involves judgement. It may not work out, but if you feel that you’re making the right decision in that moment then I say fuck it. Sure, falling in love is a messy rollercoaster where your heart beats all fast and you can’t get them off your mind, but afterwards those feelings can disappear really quick. You have to choose whether to stay or not. If you love them or not.”

There’s an overdue silence floating in the air. Sehun lets Baekhyun’s words sink into his head before saying, “I think I’m still falling.”

“Let me know when your rollercoaster ends then. I think mine just started.”

Sehun nods. “We’ll decide later.”

“We’ll decide later.” Baekhyun repeats. _ If there’s a later. _

Sehun can’t help but sigh at Baekhyun’s pessimistic thought. “Look at me.” Hesitantly, Baekhyun does as told with a frown on his face. “You’re not dying.” He promises. 

Baekhyun wants to believe Sehun, so he does. There’s not much he can do except trust him. “Thank you, Sehun.” Baekhyun understands very little about his whole death dilemma, but he does recognize that Sehun has no obligation to stay in his apartment and help him yet he’s doing just that. Baekhyun’s genuinely thankful for it. He has no idea how he’ll ever pay him back if he somehow survives the inevitable.

“You don’t have to repay me.”

Baekhyun smirks as he rolls his eyes, tired of the mind-reading and the reaper’s persistence. “I will and that’s final.”

“How?” Sehun’s amused. His upturned lips and teasing expression is something Baekhyun never thought he would witness on the reaper. It’s further proof that Sehun is becoming his own person, gaining human qualities. He used to be a blank slate with little to no reaction towards anything Baekhyun did or said. 

Now, Sehun undoubtedly has more character than he started with. He’s more reactive compared to when they first met. He laughs, smiles, shows surprise, gets embarrassed, looks nervous, etc.

There was more than one instance of Sehun showing concern for Baekhyun which shouldn’t be possible for the entity that he claims to be. Sehun’s once dead eyes now have life to them and that alone sets a fire inside Baekhyun. He licks his lips and watches as the action catches the reaper’s attention. 

Sehun’s brown eyes linger on the human’s lips for a second too long. He looks back up at Baekhyun’s eyes and they stare at each other, knowing that they’re contemplating that same exact thing. 

“Should we...?” Baekhyun’s sentence trails off. The last part of the question is left unsaid but the reaper comprehends.

“I haven’t kissed anyone before.” Sehun answers.

Baekhyun reaches forward and he gently takes ahold of Sehun’s chin. He slowly pulls the reaper’s face toward him until their lips meet. The kiss ends as soon as it began. Nothing more than a peck. 

_ Now you have. _


	6. Chapter Six

There’s an apparent blurred line between Baekhyun and Sehun. An unclear borderline. A month has flown by and they’ve undoubtedly gotten closer, yet their relationship is at a standstill. Baekhyun has put up multiple indestructible walls, keeping the reaper emotionally away from him.

It’s the first time Sehun has experienced a sense of desolation and he doesn’t know how to get rid of it, nor ignore it. The reaper is familiar with the emotion because his own thoughts and feelings are eerily similar to how Baekhyun feels about his breakup with Yixing. 

Lonely and empty. Guilty.

Tonight, the two are barely exchanging words with one another. It’s only a matter of time until one of them breaks.

The window in his room is open, cold air blowing in at a gentle pace. They’re both laying side by side on the bed with their eyes trained on the ceiling. Baekhyun has a grasp on the reaper’s hand, a habit he gained from holding onto it every night or when he randomly becomes anxious throughout the day. His hand not being attached to Sehun’s feels unnatural.

“Hey,” Baekhyun is the first to break the silence. He turns toward the reaper, eyes roaming around his face. He never gets tired of looking at Sehun. There’s this indescribable attractiveness to him that he’s becoming addicted to. Sehun is otherworldly, quite literally. Features too perfect to be human yet he contains internal flaws just like one. The reaper is an embodiment of a misinterpretation. 

Meanwhile, Baekhyun is unmistakably passive. He has been for a while and no matter how much he tries to change this about himself—it’s a lost cause. Baekhyun’s passive nature is the reason for his sorrow, the very thing that is keeping him from what he craves so much… Happiness. His passive nature is the reason he’s avoiding death while simultaneously not caring if it happens. He’s given up a long time ago. “I’m sorry.”

Sehun’s eyes don’t waver from the ceiling and he doesn’t reply either. What should he say? How can he reply?

“Tell me you aren’t tired of this,” Baekhyun releases Sehun’s hand and places his own over his chest like he’s checking if he’s still alive—breathing, heart beating. “Tell me you aren’t tired of saving my life almost every day. Everyone dies, Sehun. At some point, everyone will die. It just so happens that I’m dying earlier than the average person and that’s okay.” Baekhyun moves to hover over the reaper who’s staring up at him with glassy, brown eyes. He kisses him, relishing in their locked lips.

When Baekhyun pulls away, Sehun presses his lips together in a thin line and breaks eye contact. “Don’t kiss me like that.”

“Like what?” Baekhyun sounds offended.

“Like it’s the last time you’ll ever do it.” Sehun sits up, forcing Baekhyun to move away. “And no, I’m not tired of saving you. Why would you think so? If I was tired, you would already be dead.” His voice cracks at the end of his sentence.

Sehun lays back down, arm covering his eyes. A choked sob coming from him sets Baekhyun on edge. “Hey, Hey, Hey…” Baekhyun pulls the reaper back into a sitting position. “Don’t cry… Please don’t.” When Baekhyun removes Sehun’s arm from his face, he discovers only a few tears have fallen so he wipes them away with the sleeve of his sweater. Crying looks foreign on the reaper and Baekhyun hates how he’s the one that caused it.   


────────────  


“Junmyeon,” A reaper named Jongin attempts to grab the attention of the other reaper next to him. Jongin’s hands are locked together, fingers tracing over his intricate dagger. “I’m not sure about this anymore.” He admits. He looks at the other, eyes searching for any hint of agreement but Junmyeon’s face remains stoic as he observes Baekhyun and Sehun.

The reapers popped up in the human’s apartment with only one goal in mind, but were taken by surprise when they saw Sehun display an intense emotion.

Sadness.

It makes them question the mission given to them by Death, someone they have to obey regardless of the conflicting circumstances.

Junmyeon takes the dagger away from Jongin and steps up to the bed, keeping himself undetectable. 

“Don’t cry… Please don’t.” Baekhyun wipes Sehun’s tears away with the ends of his sleeves.

Junmyeon raises the end of the dagger towards Baekhyun’s back. He has to kill the human before The Bond breaks any further. Buildings are spontaneously falling apart and some reapers are getting trapped inside, which will eventually lead to more problems if they can’t get to their assignments. 

Normally, a reaper could teleport away from the debris, but The Bond breaking includes a reaper’s abilities becoming weaker. He has to kill Baekhyun now. It’s the easiest way to fix all these growing problems.

And yet Junmyeon is hesitating.

His eyes travel back and forth between the star crossed lovers. Something about getting rid of Baekhyun’s soul feels wrong, but he can’t go against Death, can he?

The dagger in his hand falls to the ground with a harsh noise, gaining the attention of both Sehun and Baekhyun.

“What was that?” The human leans over the bed and takes notice of the small knife. Head and wings of a dragon form the quillons, blade oddly shaped like a river. 

Shock takes over Sehun’s features when he leans over to take a look as well. “That’s a reaper weapon. Only used by ones that work closely with Death… Someone's here.” Sehun gets off the bed, pulling Baekhyun along with him.

Junmyeon doesn’t want this to escalate into a fight between reapers, which are known to not end well, so he makes himself visible and urges Jongin to do the same. Junmyeon and Jongin have no clue where their sudden sympathy came from. Why would they risk the entire universe for a reaper they’ve never crossed paths with? A human they don’t know?

Confusing Sehun, both of them bow as a sign of surrender. “We’re not going to do anything.” Jongin speaks up. 

“Then why are you here?” Sehun snaps.

“Death sent us here to get rid of Baekhyun… I’m called Junmyeon,” He points to himself and then at the reaper beside him. “And that’s Jongin. I don’t know if you’ve been, but The Bond is in complete disarray because of the stunt you pulled a month ago… Saving a human after their time is up. It’s beyond me as to why you thought that was a good idea. Reapers are getting weaker by the hour. The Bond is collapsing, Sehun. Earth will be next. You’re protecting one human as opposed to the other seven billion on this planet. _ Why? _”

Sehun stares at the ground, unable to reply with something that doesn’t sound selfish. Baekhyun decides to take control of the situation and goes to pick up the dagger. He hands it to Junmyeon, “Do it.”

The dagger feels a lot heavier and colder in Junmyeon’s hands compared to a few minutes ago. Baekhyun closes his eyes, ready to be struck with the weapon. Sehun puts his hand over his eyes in frustration.

_ “Junmyeon,” _Sehun pleads. “Don’t—”

The dagger in Junmyeon’s hand transforms into a bracelet. Jongin takes it, grabs Baekhyun’s hand, and places it on his wrist. Baekhyun opens his eyes and stares at the silver, dragon design on the jewelry. “It’s a Soul Band.” Jongin says. “...Hides the essence of your life. Your soul. You’re undetectable to Death. As far as he knows, you’re dead. Taking the band off will unconceal your soul... Be careful to not do that. Not only will Death come for you again but it will also break The Bond _ again_. Remember this is a temporary fix. Do not remove this bracelet… Understand?”

Unshed tears fill the corner of Baekhyun’s eyes as he nods at the reaper. He buries his face into Sehun’s shirt, feeling relieved.

Junmyeon sighs, not understanding why their mission turned out like this. He watches as Baekhyun cries into Sehun’s chest. It confuses him. How is it possible that a reaper and a human develop a type of connection like that? A romantic one? Borderline love?

“In all my centuries of existing as a reaper, I have never seen anything like this happen, Sehun.” Junmyeon pauses for a beat and then continues, “You’re a reaper, aren’t you? Your determination to save this human is… questionable. Why are you protecting him?”

“Why are _ you _ protecting him?” Sehun fires back.

Junmyeon puts his hands behind his back, “I felt obligated to.”  


────────────  


Haunted memories of Baekhyun’s previous near death experiences are fading to the back of his mind. It’s been a while since he could leave his apartment without feeling unsafe. He doesn't have to look over his shoulder anymore due to the Soul Band, given to him by reapers who helped him for reasons unknown. How comfortable he feels is borderline suspicious, but he doesn’t care. As long as this bracelet stays on, he’s invisible to danger, and that's the only thing that matters right now. 

Days after the incident, Baekhyun takes a seat on the floor next to Sehun, who’s lounging on the couch. He rests his chin on the reaper’s arm, Sehun glances down at him in question.

“I was thinking about what happened before those reapers interrupted us,” Baekhyun mumbles. “You know, when you were crying… You’re okay now, right?”

“Forget I cried.” Sehun looks away, almost ashamed of the vulnerability he showcased in front of the other reapers and the human he nearly lost to them. “And you do not have to apologize for it. I’m sure if I felt like a burden to the entire world, I would give up my life, too… I understand why you did it, I only wish you hadn’t.”

Baekhyun huffs before saying, “Could you at least pretend that you can’t read my mind?”

Sehun let’s the question remain unanswered. He assumes it’s rhetorical anyway. They sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Both of them had been dozing off when Baekhyun’s phone goes off. 

Chanyeol texted him, letting his brother know he’s stopping by. Before Baekhyun could blink, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, and Minseok are already knocking at his door.

An hour down the line, he and the reaper somehow end up going to a nearby park with the entire group—Mongryong included. 

While Chanyeol and Sehun are sitting on the swingset, Baekhyun is walking around the area with Minseok, Kyungsoo, and Mongryong.

The swings are barely moving, and they aren’t talking at all. Chanyeol had stolen Sehun away from the group, to get to know his brother’s boyfriend a little more. They had only met once before today, weeks ago, and Chanyeol was in a rush. He didn’t have time to talk to Sehun. Now, he has lots of time and the more the conversation picks up, the more he warms up to Sehun. He can easily see why his older brother likes him. Sehun has a calming presence. It’s something Baekhyun values a lot. Serenity.

As Baekhyun is walking around, he thinks about how nice it is to catch up with the people he cares about, and this time he’s not worried about dying like what happened in the Italian restaurant. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo notice the shift in Baekhyun’s mood. He definitely looks a lot better (happier, even) than he did a month ago. He’s smiling, cracking jokes, talking about music, and being vocal about his plans on getting a new job. 

In addition, he hasn’t thought that much about Yixing. His mind does wonder, but not to the point where he feels sad. Baekhyun is confident that Sehun is half-responsible for helping him move on.

When the sky got darker and the street lights turned on, the group met back up at a random bench. As they sit down together, Minseok takes notice of the silver dragon bracelet on Baekhyun’s wrist. “That’s interesting.” He states.

Baekhyun fiddles with the piece of jewelry as he nods, “It’s a gift.”

“Kinda looks like a knife…” Minseok warns, “Make sure you’re careful.” 

“It’s safer than you think.” Baekhyun reassures.

“Who gave it to you?” Chanyeol’s words come out muffled due to his mouth being pressed against Kyungsoo’s shoulder. It takes a second for Baekhyun to understand what he said.

“Just a friend.” Baekhyun coughs into his gloved hand. “Anyway, it’s dark… we should leave soon.”

“Hold on, I have to tell you something first.” Chanyeol stands up and guides Baekhyun away from the group. Baekhyun leans against a tall tree, waiting for his brother to say whatever it is he needs to be told. Chanyeol looks almost nervous. A giant contrast to how he appeared a few seconds ago at the bench.

“I don’t know what’s been going on with you for the past month, but I can tell you’re okay now. Your boyfriend told me not to worry and I oddly trust him? He seems like a good guy and I’m glad you found someone after, you know, crying over Yixing every da—”

Baekhyun playfully shoves his brother. “Don’t phrase it like that you dick. I didn’t cry over him every day.”

“..._ Okay_.” Chanyeol doesn’t sound convinced. He clears his throat, “Also, I’m getting married.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen and he looks at the bench where Kyungsoo is animatedly explaining something to Minseok and Sehun. “You’re what? Who proposed and when?”

“He asked me to marry him a month ago… We were going to tell you the day we had dinner with you, but—”

“I left.” Baekhyun sighs. “I’m sorry, Chanyeol.”

“The dinner’s purpose wasn’t entirely to tell you the news. Kyungsoo and I were also checking on you… Getting you out of your apartment. Afterwards, we decided to only tell you we’re engaged once you seemed okay… and you seem okay now so… Yeah, I’m engaged.”

“My little brother’s getting married.” Baekhyun wipes away pretend tears. “You’re growing up so fast.” He teases.

Chanyeol ignores his brother and continues, “Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about the planning. We should get going now. Oh, and get your boyfriend a cell phone… I asked for his number and he said he doesn’t have one.”

“He’s an old soul.” Baekhyun can’t help but smile a little whenever he hears someone refer to Sehun as his boyfriend. It started as a lie, but became unspokenly true a long time ago.


	7. Chapter Seven

Baekhyun is close to going absolutely crazy.

His thoughts for the past couple of days were everything _ but _ pure, and he’s sure Sehun has heard it all. He’s been more touchy-feely with the reaper, leaving random kisses on the other’s lips just because he craves to feel them at every second. 

His libido skyrocketed, and his feelings for Sehun did as well.

Baekhyun is noticing things about Sehun he couldn’t pay attention to before, and he cannot keep his mind out of the gutter. The last time he’s had sex was with some guy he brought home after his shift ended, and that was months ago. It’s not insane to think he wants to be manhandled right now.

“Where’s Mongryong?” Baekhyun asks while entering the kitchen where Sehun is eating grapes out of the fridge.

Sehun closes it and looks down at his boyfriend. “In your room, he’s asleep… How was your shower?”

_ Would have been better if you joined. _

“Fine.” Baekhyun innocently stares at Sehun, knowing the reaper heard what just passed through his mind.

Sehun narrows his eyes at Baekhyun, but doesn’t reply. The reaper feels hot all of a sudden, so he decides to remove his orange hoodie, leaving him in a white t-shirt. He stole the hoodie from Baekhyun a couple of days ago, he likes how soft it feels and the bright color is growing on him.

“Are you finally giving my hoodie back?” 

“No, it’s mine now. I was getting hot…” 

“Sure.” Baekhyun thinks it looks better on Sehun anyway. “And it’s cold in here… Are you okay?”

The reaper nods while leading his boyfriend to the couch, wanting to drop the topic at hand. They end up watching TV together. Baekhyun is aimlessly flipping through channels until he gets bored. He settles for a random show he doesn’t care for. It doesn’t matter because he’s not planning on paying it any mind. 

Baekhyun’s eyes land on Sehun’s hands. He grabs one and starts zoning out as he plays with the reaper’s long fingers. His vivid imagination is returning, and he can’t stop the intrusive thought that creeps into his brain. He imagines himself bent over as Sehun’s fingers stretch him open on the couch they’re sitting on.

Sehun shifts in his seat when an intense heat travels to the pit of his stomach. The reaper is convinced he’s reacting this way because of Baekhyun’s amorous thoughts.

“Um, Baekhyun?”

“Huh?” He snaps out of the trance he was in and looks at his boyfriend in question.

“Have you forgotten I can read your mind?”

“No,” Baekhyun answers. “I don’t care. You seem to be enjoying it.” He knowingly eyes Sehun’s _ growing problem_. The reaper doesn’t attempt to hide his half-hard erection. It proudly stands tall under his black pants.

Sehun pokes his boyfriend’s nose resulting in a quiet giggle coming from the latter. “Were you seducing me in your head on purpose?” 

“Kinda.” Baekhyun says before pulling Sehun into a kiss. He climbs onto the reaper’s lap, and grinds his hips ever so slightly without unconnecting their locked lips.

Sehun lowers his hands and cups Baekhyun’s ass in his palms as the latter grinds down with more urgency just to get a reaction out of the reaper. The resulting breathy moan that leaves Sehun’s mouth puts a smirk on Baekhyun’s face. 

After a long while, they're breathing hard against each other's lips more than they are kissing. Baekhyun lets out the cutest little moans every so often and that alone almost drives Sehun mad. Baekhyun groans when Sehun shifts underneath him, and he grinds down harder on the reaper’s crotch, feeling the distinctive outline of his dick in those black pants.

Not able to effectively say anything out loud, Baekhyun quickly thinks,_ Do you want to continue? Do you want this? _

Sehun nods without opening his eyes and they separate long enough to shed their clothes off. Once they’re attached at the hip again, Baekhyun reaches down and rubs a hand along Sehun’s already hard dick. The reaper hisses and it turns into a needy groan. Baekhyun continues the motion while leaving kisses on the other’s neck, chest, and lips.

Sehun watches as Baekhyun quickly reaches for his jeans on the ground. He takes out a condom and a small tube of lube from the back pocket. He rolls the condom onto Sehun’s dick, making the latter groan from the sudden contact. Next, he applies lube and lines his entrance up with his boyfriend’s dick. “I stretched myself in the shower, don’t worry.”

“I heard.” Sehun grabs Baekhyun’s waist and slowly helps him sink down onto his length. They make the same noise of satisfaction once Baekhyun bottoms out.

He leans forward, placing his hands on either side of Sehun’s head. He moves slowly at first, getting used to the stretch, rocking his hips back and forth. Baekhyun slowly speeding up once he feels comfortable in the position. 

Baekhyun lets out a loud moan as Sehun desperately thrusts up into him, rubbing violently against his prostate. The sound of skin hitting skin fills the air as both men let themselves get lost in the pleasure. 

Even with his eyes closed, the reaper can feel Baekhyun’s gaze on him, raking up and down his body as he moves. It makes his heart race, makes the heat in his stomach and face burn hotter. Sehun opens his eyes, mind clearing somewhat as he connects their lips messily.

Baekhyun clenches around Sehun’s length, arms wrapping around the reaper’s neck, quickening his pace as he chases his release tirelessly. Baekhyun almost screams before completely falling apart, joints locking up briefly before the waves of euphoria wash over him. He gasps brokenly, head thrown back as Sehun holds him close, body shaking from the force of his climax.

After climbing off, Baekhyun has a hand wrapped around Sehun’s dick. The reaper sighs, pressing himself against Baekhyun’s hand, thrusting his hips up in time with the strokes until he comes into the condom with a satisfied gasp. 

────────────

There’s a water vapor diffuser near the sink dispersing a strong smell of lavender around the bathroom, it’s a little too strong for Sehun’s liking but he doesn’t complain. 

He’s inside the bathtub with Baekhyun sat across from him. They were originally planning on taking a shower but decided on a bubble bath last second.

“You seem experienced.” Baekhyun leans his head back until it’s resting on the tile wall behind him. “With sex, I mean.”

The reaper rests his chin on his knees. “I have existed for centuries, Baekhyun. I’m not a stranger to sex.” Sehun looks down into the water, trying to figure out a way to explain everything in its entirety. He continues, “The ratio of reapers to humans is far too great… To put it in perspective, there’s probably five hundred reapers for every one human. So, sometimes, reapers can go weeks, months, or years without getting a human assigned to them. Death happens every day, every second. But there’s more than enough reapers to take care of them all… That leaves some reapers with nothing to do. Most wander off and indulge in human activity. Just out of curiosity, something to pass the time. Reapers are more complex than one would think and that’s understandable, as they can’t feel. Nonetheless, they possess a desire to feel.”

Baekhyun absorbs the information before asking, “What about you?” He pauses and then leans on the edge of the bathtub. “You keep saying _ they_.”

“Well, at first, I didn’t share the same sentiment. I was content with no emotions… I was one of the reapers that always had back-to-back assignments, _ but _ I fell into an unlucky streak. There was a point in time where I didn’t get an assignment for about fifty years. Most of my time was spent inside The Bond, doing nothing at all, waiting for my next soul to collect.” He sighs. “During that time, I was... conflicted? Doing nothing for that long, sitting around with my head empty… made me want to _ feel _ something, anything. I could finally understand the other reapers who went around engaging themselves in any human experience they could replicate. Long story short, I caved and did the same… I played a bunch of board games, card games, learned how to play some instruments, and I read tons of books. Oh, and sex. There was a lot of sex involved.”

“With?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows are furrowed, he feels himself boiling with something close to annoyance. He was led to believe he was Sehun’s first kiss… Sure, kissing is not synonymous with having sex, but he’s doubtful Sehun didn’t lock lips with whoever he got intimate with.

“With other reapers.” Sehun grabs one of Baekhyun’s hands under the water and gently squeezes it. “And I have only kissed you. Reapers never kissed one another or anyone for that matter… To be honest, we found it quite weird.”

“And sex wasn’t weird?” Baekhyun laughs, disappointment already gone. He feels bad for doubting Sehun.

“No, sex was the one thing that allowed reapers to feel some form of pleasure. Wasn’t quite the real thing, but it was _ something_. We usually went at it until we got bored.”

“Until you got bored?” Baekhyun isn’t sure what that means.

“Our bodies are modeled after humans but they don’t fully function like a human’s body does… I’ve never had an orgasm until today. I’m positive it has something to do with me… gaining human traits?”

“Maybe.” Baekhyun stands and pulls Sehun up with him. “I’m getting wrinkly. Let’s get dressed and go to sleep, yeah?”

────────────

Things are different. A good different. For three weeks, it takes Baekhyun to notice the slight shift in his mood, his life. He’s... happy? Content?

In general, Baekhyun’s looking forward to his future. He hasn’t encountered this feeling in a long time, but he can see why he is now.

Yesterday, he got hired at a lounge downtown. It’s located in a popular tourist spot, and he’s pretty excited about performing again. Baekhyun doesn’t have to stress about money anymore. In addition, he’s confident working in the lounge will be enjoyable. He’s met his co-workers already, and they seem like nice people. Not to mention the atmosphere of the lounge is pretty relaxing. A big contrast to the rowdy bar he used to work at.

Baekhyun was instructed by his new boss to practice a couple songs before he starts next week, and that is what he’s doing currently. He dug out his old keyboard to study the sheet music he was given. Sehun is laying on the bed, messing around with Baekhyun’s cellphone.

Just as Baekhyun plays the first note, Sehun interrupts, “Chanyeol sent you a text.” He gets up to hand the phone to him.

**Chanyeol**

_ Are you interested in singing at the wedding? _

_ 7:24 P.M. _

**Baekhyun**

_ YES!!!!!!!!!! _

_ 7:24 P.M. _

**Chanyeol**

_ You can pick the song, surprise us :) _

_ 7:30 P.M. _

**Baekhyun**

_ Okay^^ _

_ 7:35 P.M. _

────────────

The stars aren’t visible in the sky. The surrounding skyscrapers are brighter than them, making them disappear into the black sky. Nonetheless, Baekhyun and Sehun are on the balcony looking up, hoping to spot at least one star.

Words aren’t being exchanged, and the two don’t have any reason for being out here, other than the fact that they were bored and didn’t want to sleep yet.

Baekhyun zoned out minutes ago, Sehun did as well. As they look up at nothing, a million thoughts run through their minds. The reaper is too caught up in his own head to pay attention to the other’s.

A cold breeze blows through the night air, leaving goosebumps on their skin long after it passes. Completely unprompted, Baekhyun turns to the reaper and says, “I love you.”

Those three words linger around, ringing in Sehun’s ears. He doesn’t respond immediately as he’s trying to calm down his internal reaction to the confession. The goosebumps are becoming more prominent on his arms. Initially caused by the wind, Baekhyun reinforced them. “You’ve decided?” He asks.

“With zero doubt.” Throughout Baekhyun’s life, he made it his personal mission to find happiness. To be happy. 

He had to basically raise himself and his younger brother to get where he is now. Of course, he ran into challenges like money, shelter, complicated relationships, and more. During that time, things were hard... could have been worse, but things were still hard. Looking back on it, Baekhyun can’t believe he almost died from a gun wielding thief and not one of the many problems he faced growing up without parents, without a home.

Like the starless sky, Baekhyun felt empty for most of his life. He craved to feel an ounce of happiness, but now he’s realizing how misconstrued his interpretation of that emotion was. Just like any other emotion or feeling, happiness is a state. Not permanent, but fleeting.

Tonight, he’s looking at the night sky as if it’s his heart, his brain. While emotions are shooting stars. They fly through the sky, and are gone in seconds, filling the empty void for just a couple seconds.

Perhaps love is just as fleeting. It may come and go, but in this moment and for a while, Baekhyun has decided that he does love Sehun and that he’s also happy.

Sehun pulls Baekhyun into a warm hug and whispers, “I love _ you_.”

A second doesn’t pass before a deep, soothing voice calls out to them. “Aren’t you two cute?”

There’s a man sitting on the balcony’s railing with his feet dangling off the edge and back leaning against the wall behind him. The sight alone made Baekhyun anxious, but more importantly, he’s wondering who the man is and why he’s here.

Sehun, on the other hand, is horrified. The being he wanted to avoid for so long is standing only a couple feet away. “Death—”

“Don’t call me that, it makes me feel old…” The man interjects. “Jongdae is fine.” He takes his eyes off the couple, looks down at the busy street, and exhales. He balls his fist, and suddenly the human’s Soul Band disintegrates into thin air. 

Baekhyun stares at his empty wrist with sullen eyes. Face unreadable, Jongdae leaves the railing and walks up to them.

The way Death carries himself is something Baekhyun didn’t imagine at all. Of course, his brain conjured up some monster-like figure, and Jongdae is anything but. He has a strong jawline, high cheekbones, kind eyes, and wavy black hair. His button down shirt and pants are the color of a muddy pond. The corners of his lips are curved upward, creating a permanent smile. In short, Death’s appearance defied the very nature of his being.

Paranoia is quickly flowing back into Baekhyun’s veins now that the Soul Band is gone. He thought he was safe, he finally felt like he could move on, and yet death continues to knock on his door. “I don’t want to die.”

Jongdae quirks an eyebrow, intrigued by the human’s newfound defiance. “Do you think you have a choice? In this spot alone, there are a total of 3,505 possible ways you could die—natural and _ accidental_. You could pick one if you’d like…?” Jongdae’s smooth voice sounds too calm to be speaking about something so serious.

“I’m not… picking one,” Baekhyun takes a deep breath before continuing. “Because I’m not going to die today. I can die years from now, sure, but _ not _today. Not tomorrow. Not anytime soon. I just got a new job, and my brother… My brother is getting married. I have to be there, I have to be there for him and my friend.”

With crossed arms, Jongdae almost smiles but forces it away. “I mean, I can pick for you?”

“You’re missing the point, Jongdae. He doesn’t want to die.” Sehun speaks up from behind his boyfriend.

“And since when do humans get to decide when they die? There’s not much choice I’m afraid.”

Jongdae’s words result in Baekhyun’s eyes watering. He tilts his head backwards to prevent tears from falling. He doesn’t want to cry anymore. Even though it seems like the end of the line, he wants to find a way out of this.

“Okay, _ okay,_” Jongdae waves his hands around. “Don’t cry, I’m kidding… Only wanted to see you two squirm a little… Please put your tears away. I’m actually here for a different reason.”

“Which is?” Sehun steps forward, placing a comforting hand on Baekhyun’s lower back.

“Do you know what I am?” Jongdae questions. “Death is a human with the abilities and experience of a reaper.”

“You’re human?” Sehun questions, shock evident on his face. It’s not something the average reaper knows, he doubts this information is given to just anyone.

“I am.” Jongdae confirms. “Some years ago—No, I will not disclose which year—I was in your shoes, Sehun. When I was a reaper, I had also saved a human from dying. It was an impulse decision… I didn’t think something like that was possible. At the time, the only thing that went through my head was: _ Why would I do that? _The Bond was breaking, blah blah blah, but I refused to collect my assignment’s soul… Love is something else, isn’t it? Strong enough to touch vulnerable reapers like me… and you.”

“What are you saying? Am I a human?”

“You’re _ Death_, Sehun.” Jongdae clarifies. “The next Death is chosen when a reaper falls in love with a human. Doesn’t necessarily have to be their assignment… That’s rare, actually. We both happened to get the messy, disobedient route.” He breathes out a laugh.

“What now? What’s going to happen to us, then?” Baekhyun doesn’t understand any of this. What does being Death entail? Would Sehun have to leave Baekhyun? That thought doesn’t sit well with him.

“Unlike most reapers believe, I and the previous Deaths worked and live here on Earth and not inside The Bond. Death’s responsibilities include sending out reapers to do assignments, dealing with rare lost souls and stuff. You’ll catch on quick, no worries, Sehun. As for you, Baekhyun, you’re going to live as long as Sehun does. You die when he dies. You’re his companion now.”

“He can die?” Baekhyun glances at his boyfriend and then back at Jongdae who looked quite bored as if he wanted to be somewhere else.

“Yes… So can I and the Death before me and the one before _ her_… After all, we’re still part human. Our life spans are just a bit longer. Now that I’m not Death anymore, I’ll be added to The Council. We’re going to help your boyfriend there with all his dealings as the new Death. As a companion, you don’t have to do much besides keep living as a normal human… The only difference is that your life is longer and you can see reapers now. I advise you to not bother them. If you have any questions about this, you can ask your friend, Minseok.”

Baekhyun is beyond confused. “Minseok? Why?” 

“He happens to be my companion.” Jongdae smiles at the thought of him. “A total coincidence that he happens to be your friend. Though, Minseok doesn’t know anything about this. Don’t take anything out on him due to my negligence… Speaking of, I would like to apologize for trying to kill you at every chance I got, Baekhyun, if I knew Sehun was in love with you and becoming Death, I would have stopped this months ago. It’s not until Junmyeon and Jongin visited that I realized. They told me Sehun cried. I knew then, but the Soul Band prevented me from popping up whenever I wanted to. I hadn’t known you were wearing it, Junmyeon left out that bit of information until _ yesterday_, so I researched a little on how to get past the Soul Band’s restrictions, and here I am. Those reapers not killing you was something I did not expect. I’m assuming Sehun’s authority as Death was already active at that time. They listened to you over me.” He claps all of a sudden, startling the couple across from him. “Well, I need to leave soon. Before I do, I need to remove Sehun from your head, Baekhyun. That okay?” He looks between the two with his hands reaching toward them.

Without hesitation, they both grab Jongdae’s hand and just like that, Sehun is locked away from Baekhyun’s brain. Before Sehun is disconnected, the last thing he heard was how relieved Baekhyun’s thoughts sounded. 

After years of dejection, Baekhyun has finally found happiness that will last longer than his previous melancholic state. His temporary fixes were singing, playing the piano, or being in the company of his friends, brother, and dog. Now, he’s found a permanent fix within himself in addition to those.

Baekhyun’s been through a very trying experience that forced him to stare death in the face. Along the way, he’s met someone that helped him in more ways than one. 

Sehun, someone who initially possessed no emotions, taught Baekhyun how to love again, how to feel again and in turn Baekhyun taught Sehun how to love, how to feel. 

An unlikely exchange, but a welcome one.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun participating in this fic fest. I want to thank the mods for creating it and answering any questions I had! To the prompter, I hope you liked where I went with your idea and thanks for submitting it. I loved writing this fic and coming up with the plot. Lastly, I wanna give a huge thanks to my beta reader and friend, A! You helped me a lot and I really appreciate it. To anyone reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I would really love it if you guys could tell me what you thought in the comments!!


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